Has my chin implant been improperly placed?

Question

It's been a year since my chin implant. I can feel the ends of my implant sticking out of the bottom of my jaw and is sensitive on those ends. Is this normal? My doctor keeps insisting that this is normal in some cases due to the implant being a little long for my face.

Alejandro Nogueira, MD · Answer

...this is common and frequent with chin implants in spite their popularity.
Chin implants have many disadvantages:
-visibility, static or with facial gestures / smiliing
-artificialness, fake look, evidence of implant presence

-limited lack of versatility, they do not provice vertical modifications neither reductions
-common infections
-common dislocations
-possible nerve irritation and pain
-short lifetime
So sooner than later they are normally removed, or exchanged by an osseous genioplasty.
Why
 so popular (chin implants) then? Simple answer: they are technically 
accessible to all surgeons, little training is required, can be done 
under local and sometimes office based procedures, they are cheap.
I recommend you cosider future replacement by osseous geniplasty performed by a well-trained surgeon.
Osseous geniplasties are more expensive and need good skills, true, but when performed they produce lifetime results, safe, stable overtime, very low rate of complications, versatile three-dimensional modifications (augmentation or reduction, vertical, horizontal and depth), low rate of reinterventions, etc.

Michael P. Morrissette, DDS, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question. Occasionally a chin implant can migrate if it is not secured with a mini-screw. A 3-D CT scan would be helpful to determine if the implant is properly positioned or migrated. It is possible that the implant is not best size for your face. If you are not satisfied with your result, return to your surgeon or go for a second opinion. Good luck.

Majid Jamali, DMD · Answer

if it is bothering you then might want to remove it and have a sliding genioplasty. It is your own bone and won't move.

Curtis Perry, MD · Answer

The implant is either not angled properly or not conforming to your chin. It needs to scored to conform or replaced with another style. Then repositioned when replaced . Most likely it will need to fixated with screws or fixation sutures to maintain the desired position.

Frederic H. Corbin, MD (license restricted) · Answer

Thank you for the question and ideally you should not feel the ends of your implant.  An examination is really needed though to see what is going onDr Corbin

Michael Elam, MD (retired) · Answer

Dear sara31509, At one year post surgery you should not be having any discomfort and the implant should not be visible at the ends. You will need to have the implant removed and most likely replaced with a different style that alleviates this issues. Most patients do not feel that they have a chin implant in and should be very comfortable and natural within a month post surgery. Best regards, Michael V. Elam, M.D.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD (retired) · Answer

Hi, I have performed many facial shaping procedures, including Chin Augmentation with dermal fillers or silastic chin implants, for over the 30 years.  At 1 year post op, things should be well healed and you should not feel discomfort along the wings (sides of the implant).  This may indicate the wings are contacting the mental nerve(s) on the sides of the chin.  This can happen if the initial dissection was too far above and didn't follow the inferior edge of the jaw line.    An examination of your chin as well as a 3-D facial scan would reveal the implant placement and its location in relation to the mental nerve (foramen).  The implant can be replaced with one with the wings placed along the inferior edge of the jaw line.  I have found that placement of a silastic chin implant, through a small curved incision under the chin (also allows excess fat and or skin removal) to be very safe, quick, highly effective and far less invasive than a sliding genioplasty.  I perform chin implant surgery in 30 minutes or less, often using a local anesthetic alone. Hope this helps.

Richard W. Fleming, MD (retired) · Answer

A year after chin implant placement you should not be able to feel the implant below the jawline nor should this ares be sensitive to touch. This is not normal. Consult with your physician and/or get a second opinion from another facial aesthetic surgeon.

Has my chin implant been improperly placed?

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